St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-17

All prepa<atiOnS for the hanging had
been completed this morning, and there
was nothing to do but to await the hour.
All was quiet within the jail, not
rustic or sound tOkening the impending
fate TO the outside world. In the early
morning the rural inhabitants began to
pour into town. the incentive being too
strong to be resisted. At O'Clock
around thesiail wall all was excitement.
A multitude gathered, thinking that
there would be an opportunity to witness
the execution, but their desire was
turned away ungratified. Outside of
few reporters, the sherifs of the differ
ent counties of the state, and those
authorized by law. none were to witness
the execution which followed. At 9
O'Clock six chosen men from Co. F, |. \.
e., went on duty, keeping a march
around the gallows enclosure.
HIS LAST NIGHT on EARTH
was one not soon to be forgotten by the
faithful d e ,th watchers. Upt0 O'Clock
he manifested the same fearless dis
position suggested by the words he
spoke to the warden at AnamOSa. He
begged him to tell the sheriff to hang
him early in the morning, that he might
get to hell III time for breakfast. Shortly
after o'clock the sheriff entered his
cell with letter from his sister, Mrs.
Waterman, the contents of which will
never be known. The letter was handed
TO Bellows. and Sheriff Clark took Occa-
sion to admOnish him to prepare for the
eternal, as he was TO be surely hanged
in the morning. Bellows looked up into
his face. SAYING that he
WOULD LAUGH AT HIM
on the galIowS. Tie sheriff stepped
from the cell and soon he heard the
moans of Bellows weeping over the last
written words from d once devoted sis
ter. An hour was spent in alternate
weeping and swearing. Now weeping
over the thoughts of death and his terri
bic crime, swearing because of the i'm
agined inhuman treatment that he was
receiving. Shortly after 10 O'Clock he
made break for liberty, raising large
arm chair to strike down one of the
death guards as he was bent over fixing
the fire. He was prevented in this and
went to his cell cot and laid down. He
went TO sleep right away and did not
awaken until a. H.. when he arose
and again went 10 abusing the guards
and demanded that he be liberated. The
guards gave him no satisfaction. and he
again went TO his cot and slept for over
half ali hour. He awOke for the last
time on earth shortly after Z O'Clock
and refused to accept of any eatables
whatever. He was apparently i'll great
agony of mind but never liSped word
of sorrow over the terrible crime he
committed. At 1880 the Jail enclosure
was thrown open and the fortY-siX who
had tickets passed IN. A
TERRIBLE SOUND GREETED THERE EARS.
1t was the voice of Bellows in his cell,
resisting the officers as they were put
ting the shackles upon him. He sue
ceeded in infiicting an ugly wound by
biting one of the guards hands. He was
forced to the wall and was firmly
bound. AT 1913 Sheriff Clark stepped
on the platform, calling i'll firm and
clear voice the names of the twelve
jurymen, each responding TO his name.
The death warrant was then read TO
Bellows in his cell. At 10:45 the death
march commenced. The window from
the criminals cell had been taken out.
and stairway leading up to the gallOws
erected. Up they aScended, the sheriff
leading. followed 10y his deputy. Then
came Bellows in stocking feet, partly
carried by two strong men. His strength
had failed him. He took position over
the trap and stared at the audience for
moment, his face wearing sad, Ge-
jected look. His legs were pinioned,
but not word escaped his lips until
Sheriff Clark adjusted the moose, when
he broke down crying.
PLEASE DON'T, PLEASE DON'T"
The moose was then frightened, when in
almost inaudible words he said: Pm
innocent" His supporters stepped OH
either side of him. Sheriff Clark moved
TO the rear. and at four minutes TO II,
with that terrible lie fresh Oh his lips,
the trap was sprung and Bellows sprung
into an eternity. Nine minutes after
the trap was sprung life was practi-
cally gone. He was cut down at 1l:l5.
An examination proved that his neck
had been broken in two places. NOrel-
ativeS witnessed the execution. and
none would accept the body. 1t was
buried in the cemetery, but it was ru-
mored that it will not long remain
there.
BRIEF HISTORY OF THE CASE.
The crime was one of the most brutal
and cold-blOoded ever recorded in the
annals of Iowa. 1t was committed on
the farm of Chester Wilcox. in Floyd
county, Iowa. on the Sth of July, 1856,
the victim being his niece. Alice Water
man, beautiful girl of sixteen. A
GLOBE reporter, after a ride of about
four miles southeast of Charles City,
arrived at the beautiful Waterman resi-
dence end here learned from Mrs.
Waterman, sister of the murderer,
and Miss Waterman, sister of the
murdered girl, the details of the tragic
affair. Bellows was engaged by his
brother-in-law, MI. Waterman, as a